For What It's Worth by Erin

The value of all life. We live in turbulent times. We have only to turn on the news to see evidence of it.

If we are blessed enough to be personally unscathed by what is going on around us, we witness the pain and suffering of others, and when we come personally in contact with it ourselves, what do we do with it?
 
This is not a rhetorical question. I have a friend who just lost her son from gun violence. I can answer the expected questions. A nice young man, out with friends, shot in an act of senseless violence, and he died from his injuries. He was an only son, leaving his parents and all who had the pleasure of knowing him, grief stricken.

Think of what that word means: injured, wounded, harmed! In the aftermath of his death, those of us who love our friend, offer the little one can do when witnessing the anguish of someone you care about. The reason I write about it here is because of the testimony of faith that I have witnessed on the part of my sweet friend.

Knowing her to be a devout Christian, I am not surprised that her faith is sustaining her, but knowing of her suffering from her posting on her social media page, “My heart has stopped.”

And from there came this, literally two days later:
 

GRIEF
Grief is one of those circumstances that
Challenge and change your Relationship with God.
Grief instantly rips a hole in your heart that only
God is meant to fill.
Grief forces you to run into the arms of God;
a waiting, Faithful Father.
Grief screams at you to identify with Jesus;
The One of sorrow, acquainted with grief.
Grief demands that you stand on the Promises of God,
lest you fall into the pit of despair.
Grief makes you seek the comfort that only the
Power the Holy Spirit provides.
The grief of losing our only son allows us to realize
That God knows all too well our pain because
He willingly gave up His.

May we too be able to stand on the promises of God. May we know what those are, so when they are needed, they are there for us, along with the waiting arms of a Faithful Father who loves us too.  May we be so blessed,  Amen +